Alessandro Stefani 2024 Yarra Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 'Supera'

"A fully opaque, and quite luscious, ruby-violet to the eye with a touch of luridity in the trim. Richly concentrated, the 2024 Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Supera’ by Alessandro Stefani has a delightfully mineral aromatic profile with wet river stones, loam, cedar, Darjeeling tea, and dried cherry fragrances leading fresher nuances of smashed rock and graphite, thyme, dark cigar wrapper, black cherry, and blood orange. Wreathed around this enormously complex aromatic core are nuances of mint, blood plum, incense, cracked black pepper, and cold cellar. I could ponder the aromatics for hours. The palate is immense; mouthcoating, fully saturating in both length and breadth; fine and layered tannin which possesses a singular quality of directionality, reaching far to the back of the palate and laying the long line on which all development will take place. The wine resonates for some time after the last drop has been swallowed. Up front, and along the middle of the tongue: wet stone wrapped in black cherry, crushed raspberry, and sage and marjoram; then, further out in waves: blood orange and peel of same, thyme, black tea, clay, and tobacco; on the periphery: touches of ore, pipe clay, candied rose petals, pepper, and cedar. I keep returning to the glass. The 2024 ‘Supera’ is the highlight of the cellar this year from Alessandro Stefani, and an achievement more generally in Yarra Valley Cabernet. Excellent." — David